ting esp32 to wifi

[G6EJD]

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[ArtieRomero]

That must have been due to a typo by me on GitHub when clicking through. Sorry about that.

But perhaps you can help me with something else? I made a few of the Weather DIsplays using your GitHub code and flashed the program to their respective devices to send my immediate family (who are spread across the U.S.). In each case, I verified, using my WiFi credentials, that the Weather Displays were functioning properly and then swapped-out my WiFi credentials for those of my respective family members. Obviously, I could not test the Wether Displays after doing that... The outcome is that two of these worked perfectly upon arrival and two do not. The issue is that nothing happens when switched on by the recipient. It appears that they are not making a WiFi connection. One of these was sent back to me and I re-flashed it, again using my WiFi credentials, and it worked perfectly. So, Again swapped-in the recipient's WiFi credentials and sent it back, and again, it would not work.

I understand that the ESP32 uses 2.5 GHz and not the 5 GHz of the dual band system used by WiFi internet transmitters (called access points?). In any regard, we are completely sure that the WiFi SSID and passcodes are correct and that there are connection issues. Considering that 2 not working out of 5 is a pretty significant fraction to not work, have you any experience with this or any suggestions? My family are not techies and all I can think to do is to ask them to install Arduino IDE, connect an ESP32 board, and run the Arduino's "WiFi scan" program to see if it sees their 2.4 GHz signal.

Thanks, Artie

On Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 1:02 AM G6EJD @.***> wrote:

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[G6EJD]

It is almost certain that:

1. The credentials are wrong, usually the SSID name
2. Their routers are 5GHz only units, possible but rare, you need to get the Router brand and type to know.
3. The units are out of range if their Router.

[ArtieRomero]

I have been researching and one of the homes where the display does not work has a "mesh" WiFi system by NetGear. Since the benefit of 5 GHz is faster WiFi speed, but at the cost of shorter range (compared to 2.4 GHz), the mesh (multi-transmitter) approach ensures that a device is never far from a WiFi connection, so these have a preference for 5 GHz. Meaning that, although they might be dual-band, they don't normally use the 2.4 GHz band. In these cases, they don't switch to using 2.4 GHz unless they detect a weak connection to the remote device and there are cases where users have walked farther and farther away, and suddenly, they are connected since the WiFi system then switches to 2.4 GHz when going out of range of the 5 GHz signal. Other home systems broadcast 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz on the same SSID and this can cause problems (but some of these will allow you to permanently separate the signals, yet other units don't allow that). Quite a few people seem to have this type of issue with Ring doorbells, security cameras, etc. that only use 2.4 GHz. I read that a possible solution is that several of the ~$20 extender modules (e.g. from TP-Link) have settings that let you connect to your home WiFi via 5 GHz, but connect down to an IoT device using 2.4 GHz. I might need to get one to try this.

For the other non-working unit, I am told that the WiFi router/transmitter is new and that it is set-up to broadcast two separate signals, for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, each with their own SSID and unique logon. I was sent the 2.4 GHz SSID and passcode and it has been verified by a photograph of the Weather Display's credentials code page. I sent this relative (who is a computer scientist, in Machine Learning - so is somewhat savvy) a memory key with the complete Arduini IDE and Weather Display loaded and configured, allowing him to interact directly with the Weather Display's Lolin D32 chip and Arduino IDE sketch. First thing is to use the Arduino IDE and an old ESP32 board to run the WiFiscan program and see if it finds his 2,4 GHz signal.

I might buy one of the WiFi extenders and use-test it myself and if my own Weather Display communicates with its 2.4 GHz signal, then I am hoping this might be a more general solution.

On Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 10:23 AM G6EJD @.***> wrote:

It is almost certain that:

1. The credentials are wrong, usually the SSID name
2. Their routers are 5GHz only units, possible but rare, you need to get the Router brand and type to know.
3. The units are out of range if their Router.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/G6EJD/ESP32-e-Paper-Weather-Display/issues/221#issuecomment-1652026987, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BBK2GRL3P3RNZOFJ6ZBOJYDXSEY5RANCNFSM6AAAAAA2X3QBRU . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: @.***>

[G6EJD]

Odd, I’m using a Netgear RBK752 Orbi Mesh network with 1 base unit and 2 satellites, and the 2.4GHz bs d is visible everywhere. It would seem inconceivable that they have no 2.4GHz units in the house thereby enabling the Orbi to go to single band (5GHz mode), they need to go to the Router settings using the Orbi App and it will report on 2.4GHz devices (5GHz too) and if needs be enable dual band mode.

[ArtieRomero]

He is using an ORBI RBR50 mesh system. He tells me that he has a ring camera that works fine (which I believe uses 2.4 GHz, although the set-up via a phone app might make a difference for it working?).

1) The SSID and passcode are correct. I have an actual screenshot of his unit's label showing this and he has verified the photo that I sent of this information entered into the weather sketch (and using my SSID.passcode works with this display). 2) He is sitting only feet away from his router, at his desk, when turning on the Weather Display (I installed a battery on/off switch to reboot) 3) I read many different descriptions of issues and people not having issues with ESP32 and or other IoT devices and mesh systems; the literature is not clear. Maybe the ORBI specs have changed with different models? I will have logon to the Router settings to see what the 2.4 GHz situation might be.

On Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 11:32 AM G6EJD @.***> wrote:

Odd, I’m using a Netgear RBK752 Orbi Mesh network with 1 base unit and 2 satellites, and the 2.4GHz bs d is visible everywhere. It would seem inconceivable that they have no 2.4GHz units in the house thereby enabling the Orbi to go to single band (5GHz mode), they need to go to the Router settings using the Orbi App and it will report on 2.4GHz devices (5GHz too) and if needs be enable dual band mode.

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[ArtieRomero]

I am not very familiar with mesh units. Does the base unit also broadcast (independently?) its own dual-band in addition to the satellites' broadcast bands? If so, I am wondering if we can set the base unit to allow the full use of the 2.4 GHz signal even "if" the satellites are using 5 GHz in preference and only switching to 2.4 GHz when the connection to the downstream devise is poor. ??

On Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 11:32 AM G6EJD @.***> wrote:

Odd, I’m using a Netgear RBK752 Orbi Mesh network with 1 base unit and 2 satellites, and the 2.4GHz bs d is visible everywhere. It would seem inconceivable that they have no 2.4GHz units in the house thereby enabling the Orbi to go to single band (5GHz mode), they need to go to the Router settings using the Orbi App and it will report on 2.4GHz devices (5GHz too) and if needs be enable dual band mode.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/G6EJD/ESP32-e-Paper-Weather-Display/issues/221#issuecomment-1652148685, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BBK2GRNMG637DHD7PTGQPBDXSFBBLANCNFSM6AAAAAA2X3QBRU . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: @.***>

[G6EJD]

Each unit produces a dual-band network, so 2.4 and 5GHz then each satellite duplicates that so that you can use a common SSID and password then any device is simply transferred between mesh units depending on their physical location, so any any instance the device can be using the base, a satellite or multiple satellites. I have never known these problems, it’s most likely a router setting that’s causing this issue like a MAC filter thereby only allowing known devices to connect.

[ArtieRomero]

Yes. I think it is unlikely that his ORBI would have the 2.4 GHz band turned off. I would assume that his Ring camera would not function if this were so. But he is not really sophisticated and I think it unlikely that he has created a "whitelist" in his MAC filter. I will ask. When I discover the solution I will report back.

I am also going to dig out a 2 -year old NetGear WiFi extender unit that I have. I just checked the online manual and it is supposed to have a fast data transfer by allowing you to set it to connect in one direction by 5GHz and the other direction by 2.4 GHz, so I should be able to communicate to the ESP32 using it. It may have a more sophisticated method to be connected "up" to the home WiFi and that might be a backup plan. A

And I still need to figure out why the other family member cannot get his Weather Display to work. This must also be a connection issue, although in his case he has a standard WiFi transmitter but has used the feature to separate the 5GHz and 2.4 GHz bands into their own SSIDs. We are using the 2.4 GHz SSID for the Weather Display. I'll report back on that, too.

On Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 12:20 PM G6EJD @.***> wrote:

Each unit produces a dual-band network, so 2.4 and 5GHz then each satellite duplicates that so that you can use a common SSID and password then any device is simply transferred between mesh units depending on their physical location, so any any instance the device can be using the base, a satellite or multiple satellites. I have never known these problems, it’s most likely a router setting that’s causing this issue like a MAC filter thereby only allowing known devices to connect.

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[tyler-romero]

Thanks for the help! We got it working - not sure what exactly did it, I just recompiled and uploaded the code while on the same wifi network that I was specifying credentials for.